Former world number one Venus Williams has turned down a wildcard for next month’s Indian Wells tournament.
Organisers said last week the 44-year-old had been invited but the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion has not taken it up.
“Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wildcard this year,” the event posted on X in a statement attributed to tournament director Tommy Haas.
“We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future.”
Williams has dropped to 974th in the world and has not played a WTA Tour-level match since losing in the first round of the Miami Open last March.
She earlier told the TennisWeekly podcast she would not be making her return at the Indian Wells tournament, which runs from 2-16 March.
“I’m not playing – I’m going to be overseas. I’m not going to be here,” she said.
Heavy rain has caused flooding and disruption across parts of Wales.
The Met Office had issued an amber weather warning for rain across mid and south east Wales on Sunday from 15:00 GMT until 06:00 on Monday.
The forecaster warned rain could become “persistent and heavy” on Sunday followed by showers into Monday morning, with between 50mm (1.9in) and 100mm (4in) of rain, leading to surface water and river flooding.
Winds of more than 70mph (112km/h) had also been recorded in parts of Wales and Scotland, adding to the impact on travel on Sunday.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued 7 flood alerts and 30 flood warnings. The warnings on Monday cover parts of the River Cothi, River Towy, River Tawe, River Neath, River Ely, and the River Usk.
Flooding blocked railway lines between Penrhiwceiber and Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf on Sunday, and also at Fernhill, it prevented train services between Aberdare and Pontypridd, with passengers being offered a bus service instead.
In Monmouthshire flooding caused the closure of the A4042 in both directions between Llanellen and the A40 at Hardwick Roundabout in Abergavenny.
The amber rain warning covered Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan.
North Wales Police reported a road closure on the A4086 road at Llanberis due to flooding to the south of the Royal Victoria Hotel.
Faithless | BBC Weather Watchers
Flooding in Yerbeston, Pembrokeshire
On Sunday evening several thousand sandbags were distributed to key flood risk areas across the Rhondda Cynon Taf, while dozens of crews and heavy machinery were put on standby.
Council leader Andrew Morgan said pumps were deployed with additional inspectors and drainage engineers on site.
The local authority’s emergency control room was also fully staffed, he added, with CCTV cameras monitoring the culverts being closely watched.
The council also advised residents to move their cars from high-risk areas and offered free parking spaces to those in need.
Mick Antoniw, MS for Pontypridd, said in an update at about 21:00 GMT that cars had been removed from Sion Street and Berw Road in the town with floodgates in place at Clwb Y Bont.
He added the River Taff was “very high” but the streets had not flooded.
Resident James Wilcox was out walking his dog when he captured footage of the River Taff in Pontypridd.
He said it initially looked like police were blocking the road off and were knocking on doors.
“A friend lives on the street, and they’ve since placed sandbags, so I assume the police were ensuring everyone was informed and safe,” Mr Wilcox added.
New Zealand’s commerce minister Andrew Bayly has resigned as a government minister after he “placed a hand” on a staff member’s upper arm last week, in what he described as “overbearing” behaviour.
Bayly said on Monday that he was “deeply sorry” about the incident, which he described as not an argument but an “animated discussion”.
He remains a member of parliament.
His resignation comes after he was criticised last October for calling a winery worker a “loser”- including putting his fingers in an ‘L’ shape on his forehead – and allegedly using an expletive directed at them. He later issued a public apology.
“As many of you know, I have been impatient to drive change in my ministerial portfolios,” Bayly said in a statement announcing his resignation.
“Last week I had an animated discussion with a staff member about work. I took the discussion too far, and I placed a hand on their upper arm, which was inappropriate.”
He said a complaint had been made but would not elaborate further on exactly what had happened.
Bayly resigned last Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon later told a press conference, adding that the incident happened three days earlier, on 18 February.
Luxon said on Monday the government’s handling the issue within a week was “pretty quick” and “pretty impressive”. He denied that he should have asked Bayly to step down following October’s winery incident, and said “never say never” when asked if there was a way back for the 63-year-old into another cabinet position.
However, Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised Luxon as being “incredibly weak”, saying the incident with the staff member should not have been dragged over the weekend.
“Christopher Luxon has once again set the bar for ministerial behaviour so low, that it would be almost impossible not to get over it,” he told reporters on Monday.
Bayly himself said that he had to talk to his family and “would have had difficulty” speaking to the media earlier.
He was first elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 2014as an MP for the current ruling National Party. He was appointed the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, and Minister of Statistics following Luxon’s election in late 2023.
He was also appointed minister for the ACC – the national accidental injury compensation scheme – following a cabinet reshuffle earlier this year. Before joining politics, Bayly worked in the finance industry.
Luxon said Scott Simpson, National’s senior whip, would take over the ACC and Commerce and Consumer Affairs portfolios.
Bayly is the first minister to resign of his own accord under PM Luxon, whose favourability has dipped considerably, according to recent polls. Both the 1News-Verian poll and the Post/Freshwater Strategy poll show his National-led coalition government is losing support among voters.
The government has recently come under fire for some policies that were seen by some as anti-Māori, including the introduction of a bill that many argued undermined Māori rights and the dissolution of the Māori Health Authority – which was set up under the last Labour government to try and create greater health equality.
Sir Keir Starmer announced a £200m investment in the future of the Grangemouth refinery at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow
Sir Keir Starmer has announced a further £200m investment in the Grangemouth site.
The prime minister called the announcement an “investment in Scotland’s industrial future” when he addressed Scottish Labour’s conference in Glasgow. The money will go towards creating a new industrial purpose for the site.
The oil refinery, owned by Petroineos, is set to close by the summer with the loss of more than 400 jobs.
Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, announced £25m of new funding in a statement to Holyrood last week and called for the UK government to invest more in the site.
Petroineos announced the refinery at the central Scotland facility would close and transition to become an import terminal after reporting massive losses last year.
Redundancy letters were sent out to staff at the refinery earlier this month, with just 65 of 500 jobs expected to be retained.
Approximately 2,000 people are directly employed at the site – 500 at the refinery, 450 on the Forties pipeline from the North Sea and a further 1,000 in the Ineos petrochemicals business.
A £1.5m report into the feasibility of Grangemouth becoming a low-carbon energy hub, known as Project Willow, is due to be published by the end of the month.
Addressing the party’s Scottish conference, Sir Keir said oil and gas would be part of Scotland’s future for decades to come to protect the country’s energy security.
But he said the UK had to be at the forefront of clean energy and that the Grangemouth site presented a “huge opportunity for renewal”.
He said the site could have a future in bioengineering, biofuels, or Hydrogen energy.
He told the conference: “We will grasp the opportunities at Grangemouth, work alongside partners to develop viable proposals, team up with business to get new industries off the ground.
“And to attract private investors into the partnership we need, we will allocate £200m from the National Wealth Fund, for investment in Grangemouth, investment in Scotland’s industrial future.
“That is the difference a Labour government can make.”
The PM added that working people had to be protected, and that every worker made redundant would get 18 months full pay.
He said there would be a £10m skills and training offer backed by the UK government and any businesses within the Grangemouth Freeport area that takes on the refinery workers would get national insurance relief.
Sir Keir said a £100m growth deal was already in place for the area, supported by both the Scottish and UK governments.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told the BBC’s Sunday Show that Labour was supporting the Grangemouth workers
The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told the BBC’s Sunday Show the investment would pave the way for a “clean and secure energy future”.
“But it has not felt fair when you looked at what is happening in Grangemouth and this is a demonstration that this UK Labour government and a Scottish Labour government too, post 2026, will be absolutely determined to deliver a genuine just transition.”
He added: “That means thousands more jobs, billions of pounds worth of inward investment and the clean energy future, and security that our country needs.”
What is the National Wealth Fund?
The £200m investment will come from the National Wealth Fund.
The fund is publicly-owned and backed by the Treasury, and invests alongside the private sector in projects across the UK – primarily focusing on initiatives that support clean energy.
The UK government said its aim was to direct “tens of billions of pounds” of private investment to decarbonise the British economy.
An initial £5.8bn injection was earmarked for green projects including “carbon capture, green hydrogen, ports, gigafactories and green steel,” according to UK government documents.
PA Media
On Tuesday, Scotland’s first minister said his government would commit £25m to establish a “just transition” fund for Grangemouth.
This money would expedite any proposals which come from Project Willow, which is examining other industries which could exist on the site such as plastics recycling, hydrogen production and sustainable aviation fuel.
John Swinney said the additional £25m would take the Scottish government’s total investment for the site to £87m.
He also urged the UK government to at least match the Scottish government’s just transition fund.
The first minister said on Tuesday: “We need the UK government to do at least the same and deliver a fair amount to avoid significant economic disruption in central Scotland, and to protect and promote Scotland and Grangemouth’s future interests.
“In short, we need this Labour government to do what it said it would do before the election.”
BBC Scotland News has approached the Scottish government for comment on the £200m funding announcement.
‘Devil in the detail’
Unite is the sole union representing workers at the plant.
It has led a campaign for the refinery to be transitioned into a production hub for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The union said the funding was a “step in the right direction,” but warned the “devil would be in the detail”.
General secretary Sharon Graham said the deal was “welcome news” but stressed it was only the start of securing the facility for future generations.
She said: “This needs to be the start not the end in delivering a real workers’ transition for Grangemouth.
“It is essential that all stakeholders come together to put the meat on the bones and that this investment counts for jobs and our security. Clear timescales will be important as well as details on jobs.”
Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), said securing the jobs and futures of the workforce “must be the priority”.
She added: “This announcement cannot be dismissed lightly. However, this funding will only have a transformative impact if used correctly and is accompanied by even further investment from both governments.”
Mikaela Shiffrin claimed a historic 100th Alpine skiing World Cup win on Sunday with victory in the slalom in the Italian resort of Sestriere.
The American, who returned to action in January after two months out with injury, finished 0.61 seconds ahead of second-placed Croatian Zrinka Ljutic.
The win means the 29-year-old is the first skier, male or female, to reach triple digits in World Cup race victories.
An emotional Shiffrin said after her win: “Today a lot of things had to go right for me, and wrong for others.
“In the end, I did something right.”
Shiffrin, the world’s most successful alpine skier, had previously spoken about her mental health struggles in returning to competition after a freak race injury.
She had been set for her 100th victory in December when leading the second leg of a giant slalom race in Killington in the United States but crashed out near the end of the run, somersaulting into the safety nets.
Shiffrin sustained a puncture wound and muscle damage to her stomach, an injury she told BBC’s Ski Sunday was “weird, gross and painful”.
She spent two months out injured but returned to racing at the end of January and won a record-equalling 15th career world championships medal in Saalbach earlier this month.
“Everybody’s been so nice and so supportive,” she added.
“All of my team-mates and competitors and coaches and the whole World Cup. I’m so grateful.”
It is not known exactly what the couple were arrested for but projects run by the couple include one training mothers and children, which had apparently been approved by the local authorities despite a ban by the Taliban on women working and on education for girls older than the age of 12.
The couple, who originally met at the University of Bath, married in Kabul in 1970. Since 2009 they have been running training projects in five schools in Kabul and one project in Bamiyan training mothers and children.
While the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 saw most of their staff leave – along with most westerners – Mr and Mrs Reynolds insisted on staying put.
Their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, who lives in Daventry, Northamptonshire, told the Sunday Times: “They said they could not leave when Afghans were in their hour of need.
“They were meticulous about keeping by the rules even as they kept changing.”
After their arrest, the couple were initially able to keep in touch with their four children by text message. The family knew that their parents were “being held by the interior ministry” and were assured by them that they were “fine”.
Three days later, however, the texts stopped. The children have heard nothing since.
Their daughter told the Times: “My mother is 75 and my father almost 80 and [he] needs his heart medication after a mini-stroke. They were just trying to help the country they loved. The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous.”
According to the paper, their daughter and her three brothers have also written a letter to the Taliban, pleading with them to release their parents.
“We do not understand the reasons behind their arrest,” they wrote. “They have communicated their trust in you, and that as Afghan citizens they will be treated well.”
“We recognise that there have been instances where exchanges have been beneficial for your government and western nations. However, our parents have consistently expressed their commitment to Afghanistan, stating that they would rather sacrifice their lives than become part of ransom negotiations or be traded.”
The family is in touch with the Foreign Office but assistance is limited by the fact that the UK does not recognise the Taliban and has no embassy in Kabul.
Donald Trump has been back in the White House for a month.
His fifth week in office saw more dramatic moves as the president continued on his plan to remake the federal government, implement sweeping cuts and reshape American foreign policy.
This week he called Ukraine’s war-time president a “dictator”, pledged to make IVF more affordable and dismissed his highest-ranking military officer.
If you’re after a catch-up, here is a reminder of 19 major moves from the Trump administration this week.
Watch: ‘I’ll see you in court’—Trump and Maine governor clash on trans athletes
1. Called Ukraine’s Zelensky a ‘dictator’
Trump on Tuesday called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” – part of a heated back and forth between the two leaders that also saw the US president appear to blame Ukraine for Russia’s invasion.
His attacks came after Zelensky reacted to US-Russia talks about the war, from which Kyiv was excluded.
Zelensky said Trump was “living in a disinformation space” governed by Moscow after Trump said the Ukrainian leader was down to 4% approval rating among the Ukrainian public – a figure Zelensky said was being spread by Russia.
Zelensky’s term was due to come to an end in May 2024 but his country has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion three years ago, and elections are suspended.
The “dictator” line prompted criticism from European leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said it was “simply wrong and dangerous”.
Watch: Trump repeats ‘dictator’ comments concerning President Zelensky
2. Met Russian officials for peace talks without Kyiv
On Tuesday, US and Russian officials held their first high-level, face-to-face talks since the war started but Ukraine was not invited.
Top US officials met Moscow counterparts in Saudi Arabia, prompting fears in Kyiv that the country invaded by Russia was being sidelined.
On Friday, he told Fox News it was not important for Zelensky to be at peace talks but he would “of course” take a call from him.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks with Russia were a first step towards negotiating a peace deal and nothing would be imposed on Ukraine.
3. Swapped prisoners with Russia
Russian authorities released a US national who was arrested at a Moscow airport this month for cannabis possession.
Kalob Byers, 28, was freed hours before the talks between US and Russian officials over the war in Ukraine were set to begin.
The US also said it will release a Russian national – Alexander Vinnik, who was arrested in 2017 on charges related to the laundering of billions of dollars using virtual currency Bitcoin – as part of a prisoner exchange that brought home American schoolteacher Marc Fogel last week.
4. Ended New York congestion charge
The Trump administration is moving to end New York City’s congestion pricing plan, which charges vehicles entering the city in certain areas, then uses tolls to upgrade its aging transit systems. It was launched last month.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD,” Trump said on social media. “Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
In response, New York Govenor Kathy Hochul said: “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. We’ll see you in court.”
Watch: Hochul hits back at Trump’s ‘king’ claim after congestion charges axed
5. Told not to interfere in Andrew Tate’s case by alleged victims
Four women who allege they were sexually abused by the social media influencer Andrew Tate said they were “extremely concerned” by reports that US officials had asked Romania to relax travel restrictions against Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, who have dual UK-US nationality.
The Financial Times newspaper first reported that US officials had brought up the case with the Romanian government last week, and it was then followed up by Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell at the weekend.
One source told the paper that a request had been made by the US to return the brothers’ passports to them so they could travel while waiting for the criminal case against them to finish.
The US State Department has been approached by the BBC for comment.
6. Touted drop in border arrests
The US Border Patrol said there was a decrease in migrants illegally crossing the US-Mexico border in January.
It recorded 29,000 arrests – the lowest since May 2020 and down from 47,000 in December, according to department figures.
Trump took office on 20 January, replacing predecessor Joe Biden.
The Trump administration has promised to clamp down on undocumented migration into the US, which has also included declaring an emergency at the southern border and expanded processes that allow for rapid expulsions.
Trump reassigned the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week, US media reported. The move came after Trump and border tsar Tom Homan expressed anger that deportation numbers weren’t higher.
Watch: A look at the US-Mexico border on Trump’s first week in office
7. Fired thousands more federal workers
The Trump administration – and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) leader Elon Musk – are continuing a cost-cutting drive that aims to drastically reduce the federal workforce.
More than 6,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees are expected to be fired, and on Friday the Pentagon said it planned to “release” 5,400 probationary workers starting early next week.
Around 1,000 employees in the US National Park Service were let go last weekend – roughly 5% of the workforce – according to CBS News.
It has also begun firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees, and the head of Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union David Spero called the firings “shameful”.
Polling suggests there is public support for less government spending but also concern that Musk’s efficiency drive could go too far.
8. Attempted to rehire sacked USDA bird flu team and nuclear workers
Trump’s administration is attempting to rehire officials with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) who worked on the government response to bird flu before being fired over the weekend, US media report.
The terminations came as the latest outbreak of the bird flu has wreaked havoc on poultry and cattle farms, causing egg prices to skyrocket.
A USDA spokesperson told the BBC that although “several” officials working on bird flu were “notified of their terminations” over the weekend, “we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters”.
It’s not the first time this has happened – after firing officials with the National Nuclear Security Administration last week, US media reported that the government was trying to reinstate some, but was struggling to contact them.
9. Signed order aimed at reducing cost of IVF
Trump has signed an executive order that will examine ways to make in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments more affordable.
Speaking at an event at Mar-a-Lago, White House staff secretary Will Scharf said the order asks that the Domestic Policy Council make recommendations within 90 days to protect access to IVF and “aggressively” reduce its costs.
During his campaigning, Trump said that IVF treatments would be paid for by insurance companies or the government if he returned to the White House.
Watch: White House press secretary responds to AP lawsuit
10. Restricts the Associated Press over Gulf of Mexico naming row
A row erupted between the White House and the Associated Press (AP) – a global media organisation – after Google Maps changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America for people using the app in the US.
Trump has ordered the body of water to be renamed in US government documents.
The AP says that it will not change the name of the Gulf of Mexico in its style guide, which is used by many US media outlets.
Trump said on Tuesday that he will block AP from the Oval Office and Air Force One until it stops referring to the Gulf of Mexico.
The media organisation sued three Trump officials in response, US media reported on Friday. The AP argues Trump’s ban violates the First Amendment and is seeking an emergency hearing to declare Trump’s moves unconstitutional.
The Gulf of Mexico has been renamed the Gulf of America on Google Maps in the US
11. Continued push for dismissal of Mayor Adams case
US justice department lawyers on Wednesday defended their decision to end a criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Last week, the Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss fraud and bribery charges against Adams. Seven justice department lawyers, including the top US prosecutor in Manhattan, resigned over an order to drop the case.
Adams was indicted last year on the charges. He denies any wrongdoing.
Trump has denied that he had any involvement in asking prosecutors to dismiss the Adams case.
On Friday, a judge paused Adams’ trial and ordered an outside lawyer to advise him by coming up with arguments against dropping the charges – essentially creating a legal test.
12. Cut benefits for undocumented migrants and legal aid for migrant children
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order ending federal benefits for undocumented migrants.
The measure will seek to ensure that any federal funds to states and localities “will not be used to support sanctuary policies or assist illegal immigration”, according to the White House.
The Trump administration also suspended a service on Tuesday that helped children who come to the US without a parent or guardian to navigate the immigration court system.
13. Backed idea to send any Doge savings to Americans
Trump said he is considering using a percentage of the potential savings from Elon Musk’s taskforce to send payments directly to US taxpayers.
“We’re thinking about giving 20% back to the American citizens and 20% back to pay down debt,” Trump said in Florida this week, without giving further details.
Before making the remarks, Musk had posted on his social media platform X that he “will check with the President” after a user suggested the pair should announce a “DOGE Dividend”.
14. Vance criticised Europe at Munich conference
During his speech at the Munich Security Conference a week ago, US Vice-President JD Vance launched a scalding attack on European democracies saying the greatest threat facing the continent was not from Russia and China, but “from within”.
Vance was expected to address possible talks to end the war in Ukraine but instead accused European governments – including the UK’s – of retreating from their values, and ignoring voter concerns on migration and free speech.
The speech was denounced by several politicians at the conference.
15. Snubbed G20 talks in South Africa
Rubio boycotted a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in South Africa this week, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he will not attend next week’s gathering of G20 finance ministers.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa told the meeting that a commitment to multilateralism and international law is vital to solving global crises.
Announcing his refusal to attend, Rubio said South Africa was “using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] and climate change”.
Bessent said he had other commitments in Washington.
16. Told Pentagon to find $50bn in cuts this year
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has told US military services to identify $50bn in cuts next year so the money can be used elsewhere for Trump’s priorities.
The deputy defence secretary said in a statement on Wednesday that “excessive bureaucracy” and “unnecessary spending that set our military back under the previous administration, including through so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programs” would end.
Late Friday night, Trump announced on Truth Social, his social media platform, that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was leaving, as well.
17. Restored 9/11-related cancer research after Doge tried to cancel it
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has restored funding for 9/11-related cancer research after Doge attempted to cancel it last week, according to officials.
The $257,000 (£199,000) contract goes towards data processing to compare cancer incidence rates among firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center toxins with firefighters who were not.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said: “9/11 cancer research and funding for FDNY should have never been on the chopping block”.
18. Appeared at Nascar opening
Trump’s motorcade drove round the Daytona racetrack in the opening event of the season’s Nascar series.
The president’s Air Force One jet gave a flyby for spectators before he met the drivers and led them for a lap around the circuit.
Watch: Trump’s motorcade drives lap of Daytona 500 racetrack
19. Fired his top general
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown was fired as the highest-ranking military officer in the country, responsible for advising the president and defence secretary.
On Friday evening, Trump took to social media to announce the departure of Gen Brown, who was the second black officer in US history to hold the post. The president said five other top officers were being replaced.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously said Gen Brown should be fired because of his “woke” focus on diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in the military.
The officer removed the monitoring tag so she could meet the offender undetected
A police officer who removed a burglar’s tag so she could have a sexual relationship with him has been jailed.
Natasha Conneely, of Kempston in Bedfordshire, admitted to a charge of corruption or other improper exercise of police powers and privileges and was sentenced to 18 months in prison at St Albans Crown Court on Friday.
The 31-year-old had been working for Bedfordshire Police’s offender management unit in May 2023 when it was discovered she had started a relationship with a known burglar.
An investigation by the force’s professional standards department found she had removed his monitored offender’s tag so he could visit her home undetected.
Afterwards she checked the system to see if their whereabouts had been captured.
It was later discovered they had spent a night together in a hotel in Leeds in June 2023.
Conneely’s team was responsible for managing offenders in the community with tagging and other methods designed to deter reoffending.
Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said: “Becoming involved in a sexual relationship with such an offender was totally inappropriate
“Her actions to allow them to spend time together undetected were entirely selfish and had real potential to leave the offender free to further offend with no safeguards in place.
“The evidence of their communication, in my view, demonstrates she entered this relationship and course of conduct of her own free will and her conduct falls far below the standard the public rightly expect. “
Conneely resigned from the force after she was charged.
A police hearing in November 2023 found her behaviour amounted to “gross misconduct for discreditable conduct and honesty and integrity” and ruled she would have been dismissed had she not resigned.
She was placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning she cannot return to policing.
The player central to Scotland’s recent successes over England has been mercurial fly-half Finn Russell, who has been passed fit for the game at Allianz Stadium.
A nasty first-half head injury ended the 32-year-old’s game early against Ireland. And his absence alongside wing Darcy Graham, who will miss the game after being involved in the collision, showed in a dominant Ireland win.
Added to the pre-tournament loss of captain Sione Tuipulotu, Townsend’s depth chart has been tested as Glasgow Warriors’ Tom Jordan – a fly-half by trade – is given the nod for the second game in a row at inside centre.
Tuipulotu was tipped as a nailed-on British and Irish Lion, Graham was entering that category after Italy were unable to contain his dazzling footwork in round one, and Russell is the frontrunner to wear the 10 shirt in the summer.
The recovery of Russell, who plays his club rugby at Premiership leaders Bath, is “an enormous boost to the team”, former Scotland number eight Johnnie Beattie told BBC Sport.
Russell’s ability to unleash devastating runners such as Huw Jones and Duhan van der Merwe has proved pivotal to this fixture.
Wing Van der Merwe has scored six Calcutta Cup tries, with last year’s hat-trick leaving England’s blitz defence in tatters and adding to an already impressive highlight reel.
“Finn has single-handedly brought Scotland back into some games,” said Beattie.
“If Van der Merwe isn’t served properly with the ball, it doesn’t work. That’s how important Finn is with his rugby IQ, the way he distributes and sees things others don’t.”
Given Scotland have not lost at Twickenham since a 61-21 mauling in 2017, that fearless attitude, married with the emotion of a fixture that has produced their best performances under Townsend, could reignite a title charge.
CQ Brown with Hegseth at the Pentagon during a visit with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu
US President Donald Trump has fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CQ Brown, the highest-ranking officer in the country, as part of a major shake-up of top military leadership.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country,” Trump posted on social media. He said five other top officers were also being replaced.
Gen Brown was the second black officer to hold the post, the holder of which advises both the president and the secretary of defence on national security.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously said that Gen Brown should be fired because of his “woke” focus on diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in the military.
Later on Friday, Hegseth announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval Operations Adm Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen Jim Slife.
Adm Franchetti was the first woman to lead the US Navy.
All three top officers removed on Friday were appointed by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden.
Hegseth said in a statement: “Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars.”
Trump said he would nominate Air Force Lt Gen Dan Caine – a career F-16 pilot who most recently served as CIA associate director for military affairs – as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.
Last year, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump recalled first meeting Gen Caine in Iraq. “He looked better than any movie actor you could get,” Trump told the audience.
In the same speech, he praised the US military but said it was “woke at the top”.
Getty Images
Adm Franchetti was the first woman to lead the Navy
Gen Brown had been visiting troops at the southern US border on Friday, roughly two hours before Trump’s post announcing his departure.
Rumours had been swirling this week that the president would remove the commander, whose term was set to expire in 2027.
Gen Brown made headlines in 2020 when he spoke out about race following the death of George Floyd.
He posted a video message to the US Air Force describing the pressures he had felt as one of the few black men in his unit, including being questioned about his credentials.
In 2022, while chief of staff of the air force, Gen Brown co-signed a memo setting out diversity goals to boost the proportion of minority officer applicants while adjusting lower the rate of white candidates, according to the Air Force Times.
Colin Powell was the first black chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, serving from 1989-93.
One of Trump’s first acts after being sworn in last month was to fire the first female commandant of the Coast Guard, citing “excessive focus” on diversity.
US Air Force
Gen Jim Slife is also out
In November, before he was confirmed, Hegseth said on a podcast that there were many problems in the military, including diversity initiatives, which the Trump administration should “course correct”.
“First of all, you got to fire the chairman of joint chiefs,” Hegseth said in describing the steps he believed Trump should take.
Child criminal exploitation and “cuckooing” are set to become specific criminal offences as part of new legislation being introduced to Parliament next week.
The Crime and Policing Bill will also include measures that could see restriction orders put on people thought to be at risk of exploiting children for criminal means.
Cuckooing is when the home of a vulnerable person is taken over by criminals who use it as a base for illegal activities, such as drug dealing.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said exploitation like this was “sickening”, adding that legislation would ensure victims were “properly protected and prevent these often hidden crimes from occurring in the first place”.
“It is vital we do everything in our power to eradicate it from our streets,” she said.
Under current CPS guidelines, prosecutors dealing with a suspected case of cuckooing may look to other offences such as assault, harassment and modern day slavery in order to bring charges – but these might not cover all examples.
Gennine Bird, a former heroin and cocaine user, told the BBC last year that cuckooing can involve a lot of intimidation by drug dealers, and that they will give drugs to the vulnerable person in order to stay in the property.
“A lot of people get beaten up, people get raped, women get sent out to do prostitution to pay off debts because, you know, they’ll say give you the drugs, give you the drugs and then ‘oh, you owe me money, you’ve got to pay that, and you don’t have any money’. So they like, go out and sell your body,” she said.
Dr Laura Bainbridge, an associate professor of criminal justice at Leeds University who specialises in cuckooing, welcomed the legislation saying the criminal and civil orders currently used to charge cuckooers are not consistent across England and Wales, and the harm caused to individuals is not reflected in sentences.
But she told the Today programme that there were some grey areas and that determining victims and perpetrators in a cuckooing situation can be “very difficult to untangle” and “no two instances of cuckooing are identical.
“It may be the case that a vulnerable victim truly believes that say the drug dealer is their friend and refuses to eject them from their property – thus moving them towards the offender domain – or it may be the case that the perpetrator has been forced to cuckoo a property, by say county lines gang to pay off the drugs debt, and this moves them towards the victim domain,” she said.
She added that she hopes the new law will ensure that victims are protected and not prosecuted, and that a multi-agency rather than an enforcement approach will be used.
The child criminal exploitation (CCE) offence in Labour’s bill is designed to target people who groom children into criminal activity, including county lines drug dealing or organised robbery, the Home Office says.
Around 14,500 children were identified as being at risk of CCE in 2023-24, though the government says that is likely to be an underestimated figure.
The cuckooing offence will carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the standalone child criminal exploitation offence will carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The legislation will also see the introduction of CCE prevention orders, which will mean that courts can put restrictions on people who they believe pose a risk of exploiting a child for criminal purposes.
Breaking these orders will also be a criminal offence, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the UK’s Children’s Commissioner, has said the measures will provide “clarity that exploited children are victims”.
“Many children targeted by adult criminals themselves face punishment instead of support,” she said.
“Like too many child victims, they are often ignored and overlooked. Their voices and experiences must be listened to, if we are to create a child-centric justice system that puts safeguarding at its heart.”
The bill will also include plans to explicitly outlaw spiking, with a new offence that will carry a prison term of up to 10 years.
Slap fighting became a viral sensation after emanating from Russia
The first-ever slap fighting competition to take place in Scotland has been cancelled following a health warning.
BritSlap/SlapFight UK was due to hold the event at Glasgow University Union (GUU) on Saturday evening as part of a wider weightlifting meet.
However, a leading expert on brain injury said it was “inconceivable” the bouts should go ahead due to the elevated risk of concussion.
A spokesperson for the student union said the event had been cancelled “in discussion with organisers”.
Slap fighting began in Russia and expanded into Eastern Europe and the United States after going viral on social media.
Unlike in boxing, MMA and Muay Thai where there is a defensive element, here competitors exchange forceful bare-handed blows to the side of the head without defending themselves.
SlapFight UK, which has no independent regulation or governance, is the first independent league to be set up in this country and was due to host its first Scottish meet after several events in England.
But Dr Willie Stewart, a leading researcher at the university’s school of neuroscience, urged competitors not to “risk their brain health in the name of sport”.
Dr Stewart said the university had led research into traumatic brain injuries for over 50 years, including the “catastrophic outcomes” to brain health suffered by former footballers and rugby players.
He told BBC Scotland News: “There is no question that the University of Glasgow’s research has provided the clearest evidence that brain injuries should never be considered trivial or encouraged as ‘sport’.
“In this context, it seems inconceivable, if not ill-considered, that a students’ union of this university would be hosting such an event.
“I’d suggest that rather than encouraging people to risk their brain health in the name of ‘sport’, the event organisers spend a few hours in my laboratory and educate themselves on the consequences of brain injuries.”
The University of Pittsburgh research analysed footage of 78 fights and found more than half of participants displayed visual signs of concussion.
Its lead author, Dr Raj Swaroop Lavadi said the lack of defensive element meant each blow was “amplified”.
He also said promoters should be “more transparent about its risks”.
GUU previously said it was “satisfied” with safety measures in place.
A statement released late on Friday said: “In discussion with the event organisers, the slap fighting element of this weekend’s weightlifting competition is no longer going ahead.”
BBC Scotland has contacted the union for further comment.
A spokesman for the University of Glasgow said it did not “endorse or sanction” the event.
He added: “Given the strength of the evidence outlined by our own academic colleagues, and echoed by published peer-reviewed research, we regard this as a dangerous sport and do not believe that the GUU or the university should be associated with it.”
The weather for much of the month so far has been dominated by an area of high pressure stuck over central and northern Europe.
This prevented rain-bearing Atlantic weather systems from reaching us and was also responsible for the continuous influx of cold air from the east, which kept daytime temperatures below normal for this time of year.
However, recently we have seen another surge of frigid arctic air across Canada and the US which has helped fire up a strong jet stream across the Atlantic.
This has helped to the development and movement of deep areas of low pressure near our shores, bringing wind and rain.
While the jet stream will weaken next week, we will still see our weather come in from the Atlantic, rather than from Europe.
This will lead to fairly changeable conditions and temperatures closer to the seasonal average of 7 to 10 Celsius (45 to 50F). On the clearer nights we will also see the return of a frost in places.
Jenny Hall was last seen leaving her home on Tuesday afternoon
The search for a missing woman has entered its fourth day, police have said.
Jenny Hall, 23, was last seen leaving her home at Barracks Farm, Tow Law, County Durham, on Tuesday just after 15:00 GMT. Her red Ford Focus was found parked on the B6278 between Eggleston and Stanhope on Wednesday.
Ms Hall, a keen long-distance runner, is described as 6ft (1.8m) tall with very long dark hair and was last seen wearing a blue hoodie with a John Deere logo and dark jogging bottoms.
Durham Police said it would be working in Hamsterley Forest, where Ms Hall was known to run, and the surrounding areas.
Hamsterley Forest was created by Forestry England in the 1920s.
Sections are used for lumber production, but the area is also popular with walkers and cyclists.
Spanning 4,942 acres (2,000ha), it is the largest woodland in County Durham and is located about 16 miles (26km) from the town Ms Hall is from.
It attracts about 200,000 visitors a year, according to Forestry England.
Ch Insp Haythornthwaite said he wanted to thank those who had contacted them with information so far.
“We really do appreciate your help and support,” he said.
He said the force was aware that families would be walking around the forest recreationally today and asked them to give space to officers conducting the search.
“Try not to disrupt the search area,” he said.
The search is now focused on the running trails Ms Hall frequently uses
Alongside the police, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team (TWSMRT) said its teams had so far searched over 60 miles (96.5km) of paths and tracks in Hamsterley Forest.
“The biggest challenge is the area size itself and the terrain,” said volunteer Peter Bell. “The terrain is muddy and boggy.”
A spokesperson for TWSMRT previously thanked the public for offers of help, but individuals were advised not to try and assist as it could “hamper the systematic search”.
TWSMRT
Mountain rescue teams searched the moorland on Wednesday and Thursday
Motorbike officers, specialised sniffer dogs and air support drones have also been involved in the search so far.
Durham Police is urging anyone with any information to ring 999.
Merz is convinced he is on track for victory and has exuded confidence in party rallies
Germany’s rival political leaders will take their fight for votes right to the last minute in a push that reflects the pivotal nature of Sunday’s election, not just for their country but for Europe as a whole.
Conservative frontrunner Friedrich Merz told supporters that under his leadership, Germany would take responsibility in Europe, and that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) would be consigned to the political margins once more.
He will end his Christian Democrat party’s campaign with a rally in Munich, while his rivals will make a final appeal in a TV “speed-dating” programme with voters.
For months German politics has been paralysed by the collapse of the previous government.
Now, hopes have been raised across Europe that this vote will bring some certainty to the EU’s biggest democracy and its biggest economy, which has struggled to escape from lingering recession.
Nothing will change overnight. No party can govern without forming a coalition, and that will take weeks.
Reviving the economy has been one of the two big issues of the campaign; the other has been migration and security, thrust on Germany’s politicians by a series of deadly attacks since May 2024.
The cities of Mannheim, Solingen, Magdeburg, Aschaffenburg and Munich have all suffered grievous attacks. A Spanish tourist was stabbed at the Holocaust memorial in the centre of Berlin on Friday night, although his wounds are not considered life-threatening.
All the alleged attackers were immigrants, and the AfD under Alice Weidel has advanced to about 20% in the polls with its nationalist, anti-immigration message.
She has appealed to younger voters on social media, and is far ahead in the race on TikTok, with 870,000 followers. She has also been buoyed by support from both billionaire Elon Musk and US Vice-President JD Vance, who has been accused of meddling in the German campaign.
Getty Images
Alice Weidel has taken part in many of the election debates shown on German TV
The AfD talks of securing Germany’s borders and deporting migrants who came illegally and committed crimes. But she uses the word “remigration” which has also been linked to mass deportations.
In Solingen, where a Syrian was accused of stabbing to death three people last August, hundreds of people turned out on Friday night to speak out against the rise of the far right.
“We have a lot of friends who grew up in Germany whose parents did not,” said one woman called Natalie, 35. “We don’t want anybody to kick them out and we don’t want our borders closed.”
One man called Jochen held up a sign that read “Never Again is Now!”
There was a large police presence at the protest, and Friday night’s stabbing in Berlin which police say was motivated by antisemitism has heightened security fears.
A police union spokesman has warned of a risk of attacks aimed at destabilising democracy.
This local man from Solingen, Jochen, held up a banner that read: “Never again is Now!”
All the mainstream parties have ruled out working with the AfD in government, but if it polls higher than 20% it could double its number of seats to 150 in the 630-seat parliament.
Merz’s most likely partner is Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, although probably without Scholz himself. The message from his centre-left SPD as the final day of campaigning began was that every vote counts, and if Germans wanted a strong government they needed a strong SPD.
The Social Democrats are languishing in third in the polls, but Scholz is pinning his hopes on an estimated one in five undecided voters who could make a big difference.
Friedrich Merz was in a relaxed and confident mood when he appeared on stage this week in front of 1,200 supporters in the tech-hub city of Darmstadt near Frankfurt. But his message was stark as he turned his thoughts to Donald Trump’s presidency.
One hand in his pocket and the other holding the microphone, he spoke of unprecedented times and a “tectonic shift in the world’s centres of power”.
“A political order is now crumbling. What we have become used to for decades is breaking down.” He was not even sure if the US would join Germany in celebrating the 70th year of its accession to Nato in the summer.
He castigated the outgoing government for failing to take a leading role on the international stage.
“The German government and chancellor must finally take on a leading role in Europe again. If I’m elected I will spend a significant part of my time keeping this European Union together.”
Germans have had almost nightly opportunities to see their political leaders thrash out the big issues in TV debates, and Alice Weidel has been in the thick of them, sharing the stage with both Merz and Scholz.
In the run-up to the vote she met Vice-President JD Vance, who castigated German politicians for raising a “firewall” against the far right and of ignoring “the will of the voters”.
That firewall – brandmauer in German – has held strong since the end of the war, although Merz himself was accused of breaking it when he relied on the support of the AfD last month in a motion on migration.
He has faced demonstrations ever since, and there was a noisy protest when he visited Darmstadt.
“Love instead of Merz,” reads a protest sign in Darmstadt, where the CDU leader was speaking
PhD student Annika, 29, held a Herz statt Merz banner – love instead of Merz. “He says he won’t do something with the far-right AfD, but his actions contradict what he says. I don’t trust him at all.”
Merz appears to have been stung by the outcry and has sought to reassure voters there will be “no tolerance, no minority government [with the AfD], nothing at all”.
A 19-year-old Syrian man suspected of stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial had planned for several weeks to kill Jewish people, Berlin police believe.
The attack took place on Friday evening, with the assailant approaching the 30-year-old victim from behind before stabbing him and fleeing the scene.
A man was arrested nearby after police noticed blood stains on his hands and clothing.
The suspect was carrying a prayer rug, a copy of the Quran, and the suspected weapon in his backpack, suggesting “a religious motivation”, police said.
After being taken to hospital with serious wounds to his neck, the victim underwent an operation and was put into an induced coma, but his life is no longer in danger.
Police say they are examining possible connections to the current Middle East conflict – but said there is currently no evidence of links to any groups or individuals.
They are also investigating whether the suspect is suffering from mental illness. He had no prior criminal record and was not known to the police, they added.
Six people who witnessed the attack are receiving counselling from local authorities.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the attack as an “abhorrent and brutal crime” for which the suspect “must be punished with the full force of the law”.
“We will use all means to deport violent offenders back to Syria,” she said.
Several stabbing and car-ramming attacks have taken place in Germany in recent months, in the cities of Mannheim, Solingen, Magdeburg, Aschaffenburg and Munich.
All of the alleged attackers were migrants. Immigration has become a core issue for voters ahead of federal elections taking place on Sunday.
The Berlin Holocaust memorial was opened in 2005 to commemorate the six million Jews of Europe murdered by the Nazi regime, and comprises 2,711 stone slabs.
Hours after the attack in the German capital, Swedish police said they had apprehended three men near the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, on suspicion of preparing to commit violent crime. It is not believed the incidents are linked.
No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing, police have said.
A three-year-old girl has been killed in a crash between a van and a tram, police have said.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the girl was taken to hospital following the crash on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre where she died from her injuries.
The force confirmed the child was a pedestrian and was not travelling in either the tram or van.
No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing, GMP have said.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said it was supporting the police with the investigation.
“All of our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time,” a TfGM spokesperson said.
Roads are closed and public transport services have been cancelled following the collision, which occurred close to the Manchester Art Gallery.
‘Lengthy closure’
No tram services are operating between St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens, TfGM has said.
The network is also experiencing severe delays on most lines.
Tickets and passes are being accepted on local bus services and Northern Rail services from Ashton and Manchester Airport to the city centre.
The force advised commuters there would be “a lengthy closure of surrounding streets near to St Peter’s Square”.
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck took her own life after she was sexually assaulted by a senior sergeant
The sister of a 19-year-old soldier who took her own life after being sexually assaulted has said the Army is not a “safe space for women”.
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire on 15 December 2021, after a Christmas party.
On Thursday, a coroner ruled the Army had contributed to Gunner Beck’s death by failing to take action after she was harassed by her line manager and sexually assaulted by another colleague.
The Army has apologised and said “significant changes” had been made, but Gunner Beck’s sister, Emilli Beck, said she wanted an independent body to “handle the most serious cases” in the future.
PA Media
Speaking outside the coroner’s court, Jaysley Beck’s family said no apology would bring her back
Ms Beck told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she would not recommend that women join the Army.
“I just don’t think it’s a safe space for women at this time. I think it’s scary and I certainly wouldn’t advise it,” she said.
She said her sister “never got believed” after she made a complaint against Battery Sgt Maj Michael Webber following an incident at a work social.
“It took her a lot of courage to speak up,” she said. “She trusted that the Army would have dealt with this appropriately and they just never did.”
An inquest into the death of Gunner Beck, originally from Oxen Park in Cumbria, found she was also subject to relentless harassment by her line manager, Bombadier Ryan Mason.
Ms Beck said her sister did not want to report the harassment after “she wasn’t believed the first time.”
“It’s sort of as the saying goes – once bitten, twice shy,” she said.
“She didn’t want to be seen as that girl who sort of made these accusations and nothing got done of it.”
Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg ruled the Army’s failure to take appropriate action over the “frightening” incidents “more than minimally” contributed to Gunner Beck’s death.
“I find there was a failure on behalf of the Army to take action over the harassment she was suffering from her line manager,” he concluded.
“And there was a failure on behalf of the Army to take action against the senior officer at whose hands she’d suffered a sexual assault.”
Family handout
Jaysley Beck was reluctant to report the harassment out of fear she would not be believed, her sister said
Brig Melissa Emmett, head of the Army personnel services group, has apologised to Gunner Beck’s family.
She said “significant changes” had been made within the Army, including the “introduction of clear and unequivocal policies to state that there will be zero tolerance to unacceptable sexual behaviours”.
“There is more work to do,” she said.
“It is my hope that such change will give service personnel the confidence they need to report sexual offences and inappropriate behaviours, knowing that they will be listened to.”
But Ms Beck said more needed to be done, to prevent similar things happening in the future.
“I can appreciate them talking about measures that are going to be put in place, but these measures were always there, they were just never followed,” she said.
Ms Beck believes the “culture of the Army needs to change” in order for cases of sexual assault or harassment to be investigated thoroughly in the future.
“The pain that we felt in the last three-and-a-half years is something that I would never want another family to go through,” she said.
“Female soldiers have completely lost faith in the Army.”
“Jaysley lived as her true authentic self, she was just an incredible person,” Ms Beck added.
“She brought life to everybody’s life, she was just so happy, she always stayed the same.”
